Positive Displacement Archimedes’ Screw Pumps and Flow Enhancing

Techniques. Essential Tools in Response to Spills of Heavy Oil and Bitumen.

F. Hvidbak
flemingCo environmental aps
Sulsted, Aalborg, Denmark
consult@flemingco.dk

Abstract
The perspective of this paper is to provide responders and authorities with a
broader understanding of the most advanced pumping technologies and techniques
that are available for one of the most difficult tasks in mechanical response to spills
of heavy and extreme viscosity oil: Extreme viscosity pumping.
The so-called positive displacement Archimedes’ screw (PDAS) pumps have
within the oil spill industry for several years been considered superior to other
pumps as regards the transfer of debris laden and often very viscous and difficult-to-
deal-with oil or water-in-oil emulsions. Their ability to handle viscous oils, solids, to
cut debris, and to pump oil and water without causing the creation of emulsion has
together with relatively low weight and small dimensions - when compared to the
performance - cemented the position of these pumps in the market.
There are presently four PDAS pump brands on the oil spill response market,
which all have their origin in a patent, which was taken by Goodyear in 1955.
This presentation will describe their historical development and provide
insight to the technology: From the design of the original Goodyear pump, based on
a gear box principle, to the DESMI and GT cooperation on the first Destroil screw
pump. It will cover their split-up following GT’s design of its own version, and
DESMI’s reaction with the launch of the DOP pump type. It will go through
FOILEX’ special variant, and will complete the picture with the new Lamor GT-A.
The technical differences between the pumps, their capacities, pressure ratings,
availability of performance curves, and selection of materials will be discussed.
Increased awareness of the need to respond to spills of high and extreme
viscosity oil, has led to the development of new flow enhancing water injection
techniques, which enable the PDAS pumps to transfer even the most extreme
viscosity oils and emulsions at operational pumping rates over operational distances.
Summary results from full scale tests of the new techniques will include testing at
manufacturers and at the Canadian Coast Guard / Environment Canada in Ottawa,
February 2002. All four pump brands and all the existing and new flow enhancing
techniques will be tested in the coming Joint US and Canadian Coast Guard Viscous
Oil Pumping System testing that will take place in the US late 2003.

1 Introduction
The so-called Positive Displacement Archimedes’ Screw (PDAS) pumps
have within the oil spill industry for several years been considered superior to other
pumps as regards the transfer of debris laden and often very viscous and difficult-to-
deal-with oil or water-in-oil emulsions. The pumps are able to handle viscous oils,
solids, to cut debris, and to pump oil and water without causing the creation of
emulsion. This has together with low weight and relatively small dimensions - when
compared to their performance - cemented the position of these pumps in the
market.
Despite the good performance on heavy oil the PDAS pumps will be
severely challenged on extreme viscosity oil like for instance bitumen or very cold
heavy oil. The oil will not freely flow into the pump and even if it does get into the
pump the friction inside the pump and in the discharge line may be more than the
pump can handle without causing damage to itself, its hydraulic motor, or the
discharge hose. It is therefore in such situations necessary to use a flow enhancing
technique in order to pump the product over an operational distance at an operational
rate.

2 The History of Positive Displacement Archimedes’ Screw Pumps

There are presently four positive displacement Archimedes’ screw pumps on
the oil spill response market; DESMI, FOILEX, GT, and LAMOR, which all
(although there are variations) have their origin in a patent, which was taken by
Goodyear in 1955, for the so-called Goodyear pump. The patent expired in 1975.

2.1 The Goodyear pump – from gear to pump

This pump was in made by modifying a globoid worm gear (in earlier years
used in high performance worm gear boxes for the automotive industry) to a positive
displacement pump. Opposite a traditional worm gear, which incorporates a linear
screw or worm, which interlocks with the larger gear wheel and only has full contact
(or in pump terminology: total seal) between screw and wheel in one single position,
the globoid worm gear involves a screw and wheel with geometries, which enable
them to have full contact between the screw and gear wheel flanks over the full
extent of the engagement. This means that the load induced forces are distributed
over a much larger surface, thus allowing for the transfer of more power.

Figure 1 Goodyear Geometry with Directions of Flow and Screw Rotation

Goodyear’s trick was to transform the gear to a pump by providing a casing

with a sealing ring around the screw, and by constructing the large gear wheel with
sealing material on the ”teeth” so that they, once engaging with the screw, would
enclose a volume that could not escape back to the pump inlet (Figure 1). One
volume per tooth or disk, and one new disk per screw revolution. The gear wheel,
which in the pump version of the geometry is called the plate wheel, had in the
pump design been placed in a casing of its own. This configuration would provide a
seal against back-flow through the plate wheel arrangement and would provide
support for the plate wheel bearings. A new positive displacement pump had been
developed.

2.2 Destroil – the first positive displacement Archimedes’ screw pump

Already in the late seventies, Capt. Erling Blomberg – at that time harbour
master in Gothenburg, Sweden – had realized that a major factor in response to oil
spills at sea is the ability to handle viscous oil. He saw the traditional linear
Archimedes’ screw as a way to overcome high viscosity pumping problems.
Teaming up with a local machine manufacturer, Gustav Terling AB, he contacted
DESMI in Denmark who in those days had a production of Archimedes’ screw
pumps for sewage treatment plants. DESMI caught interest in the project of making
a pump and skimmer for oil spill recovery, but it was soon realized that an
Archimedes’ screw pump in itself would not be the answer. Its capability is solely to
transport sludge from one end of the screw to the other. It is not a positive
displacement pump and cannot build up pressure.

Figure 2 Destroil DS-210 Pump (left) and Blomberg (right) w. 1st Prototype

However, at that time in 1978, DESMI had the representation of Goodyear

pumps in Denmark, and one of its design engineers developed a combination of the
Archimedes’ screw and the Goodyear pump geometry. The linear screw would
transport or feed product from a skimmer’s hopper to the positive displacement
section (the Goodyear pump geometry), which would be able to deliver sufficient
pressure to send the recovered product through a discharge hose to a reception tank
onboard a response vessel or a barge. The linear screw was designed so that its
geometry gradually changed to that of a globoid worm gear as it reached the
pumping section. The so-called positive displacement Archimedes’ screw pump had
been developed.
2.3 DESMI and GT
DESMI formed a cooperation with Gustav Terling AB. Desmi manufactured
the Destroil weir skimmer with the new pump and Gustav Terling AB made the
diesel hydraulic power packs and hose reels, and a joint sales effort was established.
Three Destroil Skimmer Systems system sizes were developed, the 150, 210, and
310 series, where the figure refers to the diameter of the pump screw.
After two years the cooperation fell apart. Gustav Terling AB had started
production of a weir skimmer of their own with a similar type pump as the one
DESMI manufactured, namely the GT-185 pump (Figure 3). The GT pump was a
second-generation pump. The DESMI pump still required manual forging of the
very complex pump screw geometry, where the GT pump screw was cast in stainless
steel and partly machined.

Figure 3 GT-185 Pump Cutaway with Inlet Hopper for Weir Skimmer

An intense competition between the two companies started and in 1984

DESMI decided to modernize its pumps and skimmers. In 1987 a new skimmer was
launched to the market: The DESMI-250. It incorporated the DS-250 pump, which
is the skimmer version of the DOP-250 off-loading pump that was launched in
1988/89.

2.4 3rd generation

Desmi’s new pump consisted of the Goodyear pump geometry section only.
The feeding screw had been excluded, and the pump had no more anything to do
with an Archimedes’ screw, even though it as of today still is described as a vertical
positive displacement Archimedes’ screw pump.
The pump had bearings at the motor end of the pump only, which in the
DOP version meant direct end suction access to the pump screw and no obstructions
in the inlet region caused by traverses to hold bearings. The design of the bearing
arrangement and the pump discharge further made it possible also to avoid traverses
and other obstructions at the discharge side. The pump had been designed with as
few moving parts as possible and easy access to most commonly replaced wear
parts. Lessons learned in the first years of oil spill response, and brought forth in
literature prepared by Capt. Blomberg, had been adopted, namely that small inertia
mass is essential for a free floating skimmer’s wave following ability. The new
DESMI pump had small outer dimensions, a weight of 75 kg, and was able to
deliver up to 100 m3/hour and a pressure up to 10 bar. The old horizontal DESMI
pump that it replaced (DS-210) could deliver 25-50 m3/h and a pressure of 7 bar. Its
weight was 140 kg.

Figure 4 Desmi DOP-250 Pump with Cutaway Version to the right

Almost at the same time as the DOP-250 was launched to the market, a GT-
260 pump with the same capacity as the DOP-250 was introduced. However, it was
still of the old horizontal design with both feeding- and pump screw section, and its
weight was 275 kg, more than three times that of the similar capacity DOP pump.

2.5 A new player

In 1993 a new player within the positive displacement Archimedes’ screw
pumps became significant the market: Foilex. Foilex AB of Sweden had in 1991
been established by Anders Johansson, a former R&D engineer at GT / Pharos
Marine, the company who had acquired from Gustav Terling AB its GT oil spill
equipment business.

Figure 5 Foilex TDS Off-loading Pump and its Pumping Geometry (right)

Foilex introduced its new twin disk technology which is a further

development but nevertheless still a variation of the Goodyear type pump geometry
(Figure 5): Instead of one relatively big plate wheel engaging with the pump screw,
the new pump had a unique new geometry incorporating two smaller circular discs
made of polyurethane coated steel, placed on each side of the screw and
eccentrically rotating in and out of the screw’s matching geometry. The first disk,
which engages with the screw, will create seal through the first 180° of a screw
revolution and will simultaneously, via a transmission with 4 gear wheels,
synchronize and bring the second disc into position when it must take over sealing
during the next 180°, and so forth.
The Foilex principle, which has been patented, has made it possible to make
a pump that is relatively less wide than the pumps with one big plate wheel (DESMI
and GT), since the displacement per revolution is relatively larger than for the
DESMI and GT pumps. However, this has been obtained by adding complexity and
more moving parts.

2.6 Latest developments

Both FOILEX and DESMI have over the years had a continued development
of their products. The GT pumps have not undergone any significant further
development since their introduction in 1981/82 (GT-185) and 1989 (GT-260).
FOILEX has expanded its program to include a full range of skimmer- and
off-loading pumps.
DESMI has expanded its program with the DOP-160, a smaller version of
the original DOP pump. Recently DESMI introduced a so-called dual outlet version
of the DOP-250 (Figure 6). The aim is to replace the DOP-250 and DS-250 pumps
with one pump provided with two outlets, which may be used dependent on
configuration, off-loading, or weir skimmer, or other. Both of the newer pumps have
cylindrical screws for easier inspection and repair, and have wear protection plates
for the protection of the plate wheel casing.

Figure 6 Desmi DOP-250 Dual Pump

In 2002 Lamor Corporation AB in Finland acquired GT Pollution

Technology Ltd., who had produced and marketed the GT pumps and skimmers
since 1998. Lamor decided to design a new modernized GT pump and introduced in
2003 the newest development in the family of positive displacement Archimedes’
screw pumps: The GT-A series. It incorporates a full range of skimmer- and off-
loading pumps in vertical design and with dual outlet function. Like the DESMI
pump the GT-A uses the Goodyear geometry section only; no feeding screw. As the
first PDAS pump in the market the GT-A series has 100% replaceable wear
protection of the pump casing. It is expected that the original horizontal design GT
pumps soon will be withdrawn from the market.

Figure 7 The Lamor GT-A Pump Series with a Cutaway Pump to the right

3 An Overview on all the PDAS Pumps in the Market

Table 1 shows the weights and capacities for the various pump sizes for
manufacturers’ standard pumps. Please note that the information has been extracted
from the manufacturers’ technical information in manuals, brochures, or web sites.

Table 1 Standard Capacities, Pressures, and Pump Weights

Manufacturer / Weight Max. Pressure Max. Standard Optional Capacity
Pump Type kg / lbs bar / psi Capacity m3/h @ RPM
m3/h / USGPM @
RPM

DESMI
DOP/DS-250* 75 / 165 10 / 147 100 / 440 @ 800 125@1000 w. lower torque motor
DOP-250 Dual* 80 / 176 10 / 147 100 / 440 @ 800 125@1000 w. lower torque motor
DOP-160 31 / 68 10 / 147 30 / 132 @ 1000

FOILEX
TDS 250* 120/265 10 / 147 165 / 726 @ 750
TDS 200* 90 / 198 10 / 147 85 / 374 @ 780
TDS 150* 35 / 77 10 / 147 45 / 198 @ 900

GT
GT-185* 81 / 178 7 / 103 45 / 198 @ 600
GT-260* 275/604 7 / 103 100 / 440 @ 500

LAMOR
GT-A 115* 72 / 158 12 / 176 114 / 502 @ 800 140@980 w. lower torque motor
GT-A 50 47 / 103 12 / 176 62 / 272 @ 980
GT-A 20 25 / 55 12 / 176 20 / 88 @ 1000 30@1500 w. lower torque motor
* Note: These pumps will require higher torque / lower RPM motor on very high or
extreme viscosity oil
3.1 Pump performance curves
Performance curves, especially if they have been certified by a bureau of
classification, can provide the potential pump customer as well as a pump owner
with valuable information on a given pump. Normally the curves will be based on
water testing, especially when each produced pump is tested to verify that it meets
the requirements set forth in the manufacturers quality control system (few
customers will purchase a pump, which has already been in black and sticky oil). A
test curve on water cannot tell directly about heavy oil capabilities, but it can
disclose tolerance errors in the various sealing mechanisms and can verify the
pump’s water pumping capability. The performance curve for a specific pump
production number can also prove to the customer that the pump has been operated
minimum for the duration of the test, which for the manufacturer would be enough
to detect and correct any malfunctions.

DESMI
• Performance curves on water, flow vs. pressure, are available for DOP-160,
DOP-250, and DS-250.
• Performance curves on oil of various viscosities up to 60,000 cSt, flow vs.
pressure, are available for DOP-250 and DS-250

FOILEX
• No performance curves are readily available, but they can be provided upon
request for all Foilex pumps. The curves are on 1000 cSt oil.

GT
• No performance curves are available

LAMOR
Performance curve on water, flow vs. pressure, is presently available for the GT-
A 50 (Will be available later in 2003 for the GT-A 20 and GT-A 115 according
to the manufacturer).
3.2 Materials, seals, and wear protection
Table 2 displays the materials that the manufacturers have selected for their
pumps and discloses design details related to sealing against back-flow and to wear
protection.

Table 2 Materials, Sealing and Wear Protection

Pump Casing Pump Screw Screw Seal/wear Seal Wear
Shaft protection of screw/plate protection
Screw/Casing wheel /discs
DESMI Marine gr. Ni-resist Acid Replaceable Replaceable SST inserts
aluminium proof st. PE-HD sealing PE-HD discs in plate
Cast steel Ni-resist Acid proof on electro wheel casing
st. galvanized sides. Not on
Acid proof st. Acid proof Acid proof steel core DOP-250
st. st.

FOILEX Stainless Ni-coated N/A None PUR or NBR None

Stainless on steel core
Aluminium Ni-Coated N/A
Stainless

GT Cast Steel/ Stainless N/A None Nitril Rubber None

Stainless mix w. epoxy fiber
support

LAMOR Marine gr. Acid proof Acid Replaceable Replaceable SST inserts
aluminium st. proof st. PE-HD or PE-HD or in plate
PTFE sealing PTFE discs on wheel casing
acid proof sides and
steel core rounding
Note: Bold text is standard version

3.3 Flow enhancing equipment

Steam/hot/cold water injection devices are available off-the-shelf for the
PDAS pumps as described in Table 3.

Table 3 Steam/hot/cold Water Injection Flanges

Pump Inlet side injection Discharge side injection

DESMI, all pumps yes yes

FOILEX, all pumps no yes

GT, all pumps yes yes

LAMOR, all pumps yes, standard, integrated in pump yes

3.4 Common properties
Despite differences in design, performance, and selection of materials the
four pump brands have a number of common properties:

• No or limited emulsification of water and oil. Most other pump types will
create the very viscous and difficult-to-deal-with water-in-oil emulsion if oil
and water are pumped simultaneously. But the PDAS pumps will in principle
for each revolution cut a segment of “thread” out of the pumped product and
push it through the pump in a very gentle manner. It might be better
explained by thinking about pumping children’s toothpaste with stripes:
There would still be stripes after the pump; but no mixing or emulsification.
• Good debris handling. All four pumps have cutting knife systems, which
chop up lots of the debris that could seize the operation for many other pump
types. Furthermore the open structure plays an important role when the
chopped debris must be brought forward through the pump.
• Good solids handling is due to the very open structure of these pumps. It
should, however, be noted that solids (stones, pieces of steel, etc.), which
happen to be hit by the knives may not pass through the pumps unless the
knives can chop them up. It is quite random whether a solid, that would
otherwise pass through the pump, will be hit by the knives and - if strong
enough - thereby cause the pump to stop instantaneously. It could therefore
seem that fewer knives would result in a higher chance that the solid passes
through
• Good performance on heavy oil or high viscosity oil is really what the pumps
are famous for. Once again the open structure plays an important role, as
does the gentle treatment of the oil. A relatively small portion of the pump
power is used for sliding, squeezing, and attempting to compress the oil,
which is very power demanding with higher viscosity oil. This leaves more
for the task to move the product forward. Or in other terms: The pumps have
an overall high efficiency on high viscosity oil.
• Mobility: All the PDAS pumps are made for mobile use, and especially the
smaller pumps offer the important combination of portability and heavy oil
performance.
• Wear may be a problem due to the fundamental design of the PDAS pumps
where the moving parts slide against each other and the pump casing. This is
especially the case when pumping abrasive media. The problem has caused
two of the manufacturers to place relatively inexpensive wear (and sealing)
parts at critical locations to protect mainly the pump casing (Table 2).

4 PDAS Pump Limitations on very High and Extreme Viscosity Oil

Despite the good performance on heavy oil, the PDAS pumps will be
severely challenged on extreme viscosity oil like for instance bitumen or very cold
heavy oil. Consider that the viscosity may be in the 500,000 to more than 3 million
cSt range. The oil will not freely flow into the pump and even if it does get into the
pump the friction inside the pump and in the discharge line may be more than the
pump can handle without causing damage to itself, its hydraulic motor, or the
discharge hose. It is therefore in such situations necessary to use a flow enhancing
technique in order to pump the product over an operational distance at an operational
rate.

5 Flow enhancing techniques

Since 1999, BITOR, the Orimulsion producer, has tank-tested a number of
mechanical feeder skimmers on mechanically refloated bitumen (Hvidbak, 1999,
2001 and 2002). These tests, and tests in 1999 at SAIC/Environment Canada’s test
facility in Ottawa, Canada, sponsored by EC and the Canadian Coast Guard (Cooper
and Hvidbak, 2000), have demonstrated that floating bitumen with a viscosity of 2 -
3 million cSt can be recovered by a number of different types of mechanical feeder
skimmers. But as will be described in further detail in section 6 it also became
obvious that some means of flow enhancing technique would be required if the
transfer pumps should be able to transfer the recovered product.
A series of full scale tests, carried out by the US Coast Guard since 1999,
has seriously brought focus on flow enhancing techniques and has also been the
cradle for the thinking that led to the development of the inlet side injection
technique. The USCG tests have involved PDAS pumps, a double screw pump and a
centrifugal pump. The most important USCG discharge side water lubrication test
result has been an impressive factor 10 to 12 reduction in pressure drop, while
pumping oils over long distances at viscosities not exceeding 50,000 cSt with a
DOP-250 PDAS pump (Moffat, 1999).
The Canadian Coast Guard and Environment Canada have supported this
work by carrying out tests of inlet side steam/hot water injection and combinations
of inlet- and discharge side lubrication. The Canadian Coast Guard used a GT PDAS
pump and demonstrated that the application of inlet- and outlet side steam/hot water
injection in combination could increase performance of this pump more than 40
times on a bitumen of about 2 million cSt.
The four main flow enhancing techniques are discussed in the following
sections.

5.1 Bulk heating

Bulk heating involves the heating of the entire volume of oil in a storage
tank, for instance, using heating coils. There may be a limited temperature increase
required to convert the extreme viscosity product to something that is pumpable.
Bitumen may as an example go from 2 million cSt and down to 200,000 cSt by
increasing the temperature from 20 to 30 °C. This would be enough for a PDAS
pump to transfer it at an operational rate, and further heating would enable several
other pump types to be useable. However, most oil recovery skimmers do not have
an on-board tank. They must be able to transfer the recovered product instantly. By
transfer of cold heavy oil from sunken vessels it may likewise be impossible, or to
the best very difficult and expensive, to heat up the entire tank.

5.2 Local bulk heating

Local bulk heating involves a heating coil wrapped around the transfer pump
or placed in front of its intake. A steam/hot water source heats up the coils, which
heat up the oil adjacent to the pump, thus reducing viscosity and facilitating in-flow.
Even though the oil outside the local heating area will remain extremely viscous, it
will nevertheless gradually sink in and compensate for the oil that is being removed
by the pump, so that the transfer process can keep going. Instead of heating coils,
other types of heat exchangers may be used, as long as they can be placed in the
vicinity of the pump. A steam heated inlet hopper to the transfer pump in a
mechanical feeder skimmer may in some cases be enough to change failure to
success.

5.3 Discharge side annulus ring water injection

This technique dates back to 1959 where it for the first time was used by the
heavy oil industry who wanted to facilitate the pumping of very viscous crude oil
through pipelines. The principle of a so-called annulus water injection flange
(AWIF), which injects water as a low viscosity “coating” between the oil and the
hose or tube, can be seen in figure 8.

Courtesy by GPC/USCG/US NAVY

Figure 8 Discharge Annulus Water Injection Flange Cutaway Sketch

Later on the technique was adopted by the emergency off-loading industry.

In both cases mainly centrifugal pumps have been used, which is the reason for
having the point of injection after the pump. These pump types have a severe
decrease in efficiency, at a relatively small increase in viscosity,. Water lubrication
has been able to enhance the efficiency of these pumps, but only by placing the
injection flange after and a little away from the pump, because turbulence inside the
pump would otherwise mix the oil and water, hence creating higher viscosity
emulsion and further decreasing pump efficiency. For the PDAS pumps these
reasons for positioning the flange after the pump do not apply; there is no turbulence
after the pump, and there will be no or little emulsification inside the pump if water
is added before the pump.
Traditionally water at ambient temperature has been used for discharge side
water lubrication. As it has been tested by the Canadian Coast Guard, the injection
of hot water may further enhance the flow when pumping extremely viscous oil. But
the results are not conclusive

5.4 Inlet side annulus ring steam/hot water injection

Inlet side annulus ring steam/hot water injection is an option to local bulk
heating that only requires that the pump itself be fitted with an injection flange on its
intake (Figure 9). This is a more portable and compact solution, which, besides the
hydraulic power lines, only requires hook-up to a steam source like a standard
mobile steam cleaner. The injected steam heats up the pump intake and gradually the
entire pump, thus heating up the oil near the pump and creating almost similar
conditions as for local bulk heating. The used steam condenses to hot water and is
via a circular slot injected to the inside of the pump where it has two functions:

1. It heats up the inner surfaces – including the moving parts – so that the oil
touching the surfaces – locally, in a very thin layer – gets heated up. This
reduces the viscosity of the thin oil layer, thus significantly reducing friction
inside the pump.
2. Friction is further reduced by the lubricating effect of the injected hot water,
which in turn also lubricates the discharge line and facilitates the overall
transfer of the oil.

6 Extreme Viscosity Pumping Test Results

Two of the most widely used PDAS pumps (GT-185 and DOP-250) in the
spill response market were tested in two of the skimmer tests, mentioned in section
5, on 2-3 million cSt bitumen. They both had difficulties transferring the extremely
viscous product from pump inlet to pump discharge, meaning that feeding the
product into the pump inlet was difficult and/or the pressure/friction losses inside the
pump itself could barely be overcome.
It was therefore deemed necessary to test existing and new techniques which
might improve the pumps’ ability to transfer bitumen. Unless the problems could be
overcome, a large number of otherwise capable mechanical feeder skimmers could
be considered unsuitable for the recovery of extreme viscosity oil. Only designs
where the recovered product could be dumped directly into a tank would be suitable.

6.1 Test at DESMI in Denmark

In a Bitor and Ro-Clean DESMI sponsored test at DESMI’s test facility in
Aalborg, Denmark in 2001 (Hvidbak, 2001) cold bitumen with a bulk temperature of
14 – 15 °C (> 3 million cSt) was transferred - using a DOP-250 pump equipped with
a flemingCo type inlet side steam / hot water injection system - through a 20 m long
6” hose at a rate of 45 m3/h. The system incorporates an injection flange, distribution
hoses, a distribution manifold, and steam cleaner hook-up (Figure 9).

Figure 9 flemingCo Inlet Side Steam Injection System and Bitumen Test
 It was at this test observed that the DOP-250 pump had to be equipped with
a higher torque / lower RPM hydraulic motor in order to efficiently deal with the
extremely viscous product. It was further observed that heating the bulk of the
bitumen from 15 to 30 °C, thus reducing the viscosity from above 3 million cSt to
about 200,000 cSt, was sufficient for an operational pumping capacity without the
aid from other flow enhancing technique than the bulk heating.

6.2 Test at SAIC Canada/Environment Canada

The Danish test was a break-through in extreme viscosity pumping, which
was verified when a similar test, sponsored by the Canadian Coast Guard and
Environment Canada was carried out at SAIC Canada/Environment Canada’s test
facility in Ottawa. A GT-185 transfer pump was tested with flemingCo type inlet-
and discharge side steam/hot water lubrication devices (Cooper, et. al., 2002)(Figure
10). This test demonstrated that the modified GT pump could transfer about 2
million cSt bitumen at a rate of 13.9 m3/h through 12 m of 4” hose. This was more
than a 40 times performance improvement when compared to the baseline test,
where only 1.07 m3/h could be pumped through 3.6 m of 4” hose without any steam
or hot water injection.

Figure 10 GT-185 w. Inlet/Outlet Steam Injection and Discharge from Test

It should be noted that the GT-185 by purpose had been equipped with steam
injection devices on both inlet- and discharge side, since it was the expectation that
the many inner leaks in the pump would cause a backflow of the steam/water
injected at the inlet, which would result in too little water left for further lubrication
through the remaining part of the pump and the discharge hose.
It was at this test observed that the GT-185 pump had to be equipped with a
higher torque / lower RPM hydraulic motor in order to efficiently deal with the
extremely viscous product.

6.3 Test at Environment Recovery Equipment (ERE), Canada

The FOILEX TSD 150 pump with injection flanges on inlet- and discharge
side was tested on bitumen at Environment Recovery Equipment (ERE), Canada in
spring 2002 (Hines, 2002). The test was witnessed by representatives from the US
and Canadian Coast Guards. The ERE skimmer recovered the about 3 million cSt
(16 °C) bitumen to a small buffer tank from where the TDS 150 pumped it through
30 m of 4” hose, back to the test tank in front of the skimmer (Figure 11).
Cited from the skimmer manufacturer’s report: “The steam arrangement
consisted of an intake and discharge flange mounted on the pump with a heat
exchange chamber secured to the bottom of the incline tray of the skimmer. It was
noted that the intake flange was of little use as the steam pressure built an air pocket
and prevented oil from flowing to the pump. The steam flow to the intake flange was
shut off and pumping continued with the discharge side of pump receiving steam
injection. The TDS150 pump worked well, producing a steady flow.”

Figure 11 ERE Skimmer and Discharge from TSD 150 Pump

A test report has only been prepared by the skimmer manufacturer.

Evaluation of performance was visual only. But it nevertheless adds to the picture of
PDAS pumps in combination with flow enhancing techniques; they can handle
extreme viscosity oil at operational rates. Even though – in this case – there seemed
to be a problem with backflow from the pump of injected steam/water, which can
happen if the positioning of the injection device is not close enough to the active
pumping section of the pump or if the pump has too many inner leaks.

6.4 Test at LAMOR, Finland

The GT-A 50 pump and its built-in steam injection system was tested in
early 2003 under flemingCo supervision on bitumen in-house at LAMOR in Finland
as a transfer pump on a brush belt skimmer. The skimmer scraped off the bitumen
into a steam heated hopper, which guided it into the inlet of the pump. The viscosity
was about 3 million cSt (15 °C) and the pump could match up with the skimmer and
instantly transfer the recovered product through the discharge hose – fully water
lubricated (Figure 12).

Figure 12 Steam Lubricated Bitumen Discharge at Lamor in-house Test

 The test was not “official”, a test report has not been prepared, and
evaluation of performance was visual only. But it nevertheless adds to the picture of
PDAS pumps in combination with flow enhancing techniques; they can handle
extreme viscosity oil at operational rates.

7 Coming Testing
The coming Joint US and Canadian Coast Guard and Industry Viscous Oil
Pumping System (JVOPS) testing that will take place in the US late 2003 has been
planned for more than a year and it was originally expected that this presentation
could present the major test results. However, logistic problems, such as getting the
right oils for testing and controlling the viscosities, have delayed the project, which
is now scheduled for November 2003. The JVOPS project will be the most
comprehensive high- and extreme viscosity testing that has ever been carried out.
In one test line a product with a target viscosity of 200,000 cSt will be
pumped over a test distance of 300 ft using all the PDAS pump types in the market
plus two other pump types. All thinkable combinations of inlet side water
lubrication (hot, tempered, cold), discharge side water lubrication (hot, tempered,
cold), and local bulk heating will be applied. Several different percentages of
injected water will be used in an attempt to determine the optimal injection rate
relative to the pumped product. In order to verify whether proportionality exists
when using the best flow enhancing technique or if additional water must be added,
the pumping distances will for one of the test pumps gradually be increased up to a
maximum of 450 m (1500 ft ) of 6” hose.
In another test line the same pumps and test pattern will be used on a product
with a target viscosity in the 500,000 to 1 million cSt range, except for that only
inlet- and outlet hot water injection and combinations with local bulk heating will be
used. These extreme viscosity tests will likewise conclude in a test with gradually
increasing pumping distances, namely from 30 to 150 m (100 to 500 ft) of 6” hose.

8 Increasing Awareness of the Flow Enhancing Techniques

The new inlet side steam/hot water injection flow enhancing technique for
the PDAS pump transfer of extremely viscous oil has not only made bitumen
emergency transfer pumping operational in a compact and portable way, but has also
already been incorporated into several applications of emergency pump transfer of
conventional high viscosity oil. In 2002 it was used in the unloading of highly
viscous oil from the sunken World War 2 vessel Luckenbach off the coast of
California.
A number of skimmer manufacturers already deliver off-the-shelf
mechanical feeder skimmers, where the transfer pump is equipped with inlet or
outlet side steam/hot water injection, and some even have a heated hopper guiding
the recovered viscous product to the pump inlet (local bulk heating).

9 Conclusion
There are with the combination of positive displacement Archimedes’ screw
pumps and the various flow enhancing techniques clearly means available for the
difficult task of extreme viscosity pump transfer. It will be up to the individual
response organization to decide on which pump type and flow enhancing technique
will suit their needs and existing equipment inventory in the best possible way.
Several combinations will obviously work.
It must, however, be noted that some of the PDAS pumps will need to be
equipped with a higher torque / lower RPM hydraulic motor than what is standard
for these pumps.
When the coming JVOPS testing in the US has been completed it is expected
to be possible to clearly quantify, for each pump type, the optimal application of
heat and water injection when pumping high and extreme viscosity oil.

10 Biography
Flemming Hvidbak is an oil spill consultant who has been in the industry for
19 years. He has specialized in developing and testing response techniques and
equipment for spills of heavy and extreme viscosity oil. Presently he serves as lead
engineer for the coming joint US Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, and Industry
viscous oil pumping system tests in the United States, 2003.

11 References
Cooper, D., SAIC Canada, Hvidbak, F., flemingCo, 2000. “Evaluation of
Mechanical Recovery Devices for Spills of Orimulsion®”, SAIC Canada Technical
Report, 2000.

Cooper, D., SAIC Canada, Hvidbak, F., flemingCo, Mitchell, T., Breco Innovation,
2000, “Pumping Extremely Viscous Oil Using a Modified GT-185”, SAIC Canada
Technical Report, 2002.

Hines, D., Environment Recovery Equipment, Inc., 2002, “Heavy Viscous Oil
Pumping Tests / Demonstrations at ERE Facility in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada”
http://www.ereweb.com/heavy_viscous_oil_pumping.htm, 2002

Hvidbak, F., flemingCo, 1999. “Projects for the Detection and Recovery of Spilled
Orimulsion®, Evaluation of the UNISEP and KLK Skimmers”, Bitor America
Corporation Technical Report, 1999.

Hvidbak, F. flemingCo, 2001, “The Development and Test of Techniques for

Emergency Transfer of Extreme Viscosity Oil”, Proceedings of the AMOP 2001
technical seminar.

Hvidbak, F., flemingCo, 2002. “Test and Evaluation of the LAMOR Brush Belt
Skimmer on 3+ million cSt Bitumen”, Bitor America Corporation Technical Report,
2002

Moffatt, C., GPC, US Coast Guard and US Navy, 1999. “Testing of the U. S. Coast
Guard Viscous Oil Pumping System (VOPS Prototype) at the MMS OHMSETT
Test Facility, Earle, NJ, November 1999”. USCG /US Navy / GPC technical report
1999.